As is well known, optical fibers provide the transmission medium for wide bandwidth lightwave communication systems. Optical fibers, however, are generally small in diameter, brittle and have transmission characteristics that are impaired by bending beyond a prescribed minimum bend radius. Consequently, it is necessary to use special handling techniques to assure reliable transmission. This is especially important in lightguide communication systems having a large number of interconnections where optical fibers must be spliced to make the needed interconnections and interconnection changes. Such interconnection splices are usually contained in enclosures designed to provide a reservoir of slack fiber to accommodate splicing changes. The splicing enclosures must maintain the required optical fiber transmission characteristics and the integrity of the plurality of fibers in the enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,853 discloses a device for organizing optical fibers in which a plurality of stacked tray-like supports have partially turned up edges, with each support separately hinged at one side to a carrier. Each support includes a looped fiber retaining portion having a width at least equal to twice the minimum bend radius so that fiber damage can be avoided. The optical fibers, however, are restrained within the turned up edges of the tray support so that only a fixed length of fiber can be stored. Lengths deviating from the prescribed loop length are not accommodated.
Other fiber optical organizer structures are known which include one or more cylindrical structures of a diameter that assures the minimum bend radius restriction is observed. One such arrangement described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,435 issued June 1, 1982 to Post et al has a storage space on either side of a splicing recess. Each space has an inner diameter at least equal to twice the minimum radius of curvature of the optical fiber stored therein and bolt of a diameter to prevent bending problems. These arrangements, however, require that the lengths of stored fiber be restricted to integer multiples of a prescribed loop length when fiber lengths in excess of that needed for the splicing is stored. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved optical fiber organizer which permits storage of a wide range of fiber lengths and assures maintenance of bend radius restrictions.